This has been another year filled with impressive student work, show-stopping exhibitions, and amazing partnerships! We are excited to highlight some of the amazing accomplishments from across our SDCT community from this past academic year.
Audio Pixel Collider
While it had been on hiatus for a few years, Audio Pixel Collider made its grand return! The B. Iden Payne Theatre was transformed into an immersive music venue that boasted vibrant visuals and cutting-edge lighting design. The one-of-a-kind experience was created by our talented AET students who showcased their best tech work paired with original music. The VJ battle-style set-up created a unique dance environment for the UT community. In addition to the live music, guests were invited to get hands-on with student-created games and demos that blended art, technology, and innovation. What a night!
Design + Impact
This April, the Center for Integrated Design hosted its 2025 seminar, "Design+Impact: Design's Value in the Future." The special event included a panel discussion and workshops featuring Rebeccah Pailes, founder and principal of Interwoven Design Group; Doug Powell, an award-winning designer with over 30 years of experience; and Jared Culp, Lead Product Designer at Netflix. This evening brought together a diverse mix of students, designers, educators, and professionals from various industries to explore what these thought leaders in design consider valuable for the future of the field and how design can drive value in other sectors.
Career Fair
Our Industry Relations team hosted their first-ever career fair in the Foundry in DFA. The event featured some of the top employers in design and gaming to talk about job and internship opportunities. Companies included Capital One, Walt Disney, Southwest Airlines, FarBridge Games, and more. The successful event saw over 200 student participants. It was a great opportunity for our students to get first-hand experience presenting their resumes and portfolios to future employers and even get an updated headshot for their LinkedIn profile!
Elevate
After the success of Inside Out last spring, DFA was once again buzzing with excitement for this year’s AET showcase. From the exterior of the building up to the fourth floor, student work was presented in a multitude of media. Industry professionals, family, and friends enjoyed interactive games and displays that included immersive technology in the LIM, hands-on video games, and a variety of research that combined art and technology. The evening concluded with student performances, a laser and projection mapping show, and an exclusive set from AET alumna EMSKI.
BFA + MFA Exhibition Opening Night
Anna Hiss Gym was transformed into an exhibition space boasting work from both our graduating BFA and MFA cohorts. Each with their own theme, the students worked hard to create an impressive opening night experience for guests. Located in the commons, the BFA cohort presented “Design as…” which allowed them to reflect on the variety of functions design plays in our society. Upstairs, the MFA students featured their thesis work with the theme “Lattice.” The exhibition served as a celebration of the intention, thought, and passion of our graduating designers.
Guest Speakers
We once again hosted a handful of talented guest artists and industry professionals in our spaces this academic year. The beloved Cheryl D. Miller joined us for a special evening celebrating the launch of her new book, Where the Black Designers Are. She also took the time to present a case study on type designer Tre Seals, in addition to meeting 1:1 with Design students. The Buckman Center Speaker Series brought two impactful guests to inspire our students. International art collective teamLab visited us from Japan! Takeshi Yamada shared the concepts and philosophies behind teamLab's artworks and museums around the world, as well as information about their development teams and the technologies used. The Buckmans also brought us the President of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation. Bill Damashke shared insights into his professional journey as well as career advice for students aspiring to enter the entertainment and design industries.
Character Creator
Design professor Kelcey Gray presented another LetterQuest adventure: Character Creator. In this three-hour, technical workshop, she guided attendees through letterform construction using the conventions of the classic DND character creation model. SDCT students, faculty, and staff were able to participate in this typographic fantasy adventure regardless of skill level.
Cross-listed Class
For the first time in SDCT history, we were able to present a cross-listed class between both of our departments. “Typography and Games” combined the talents of DES professor Kelcey Gray and AET professor Jessie Contour. These two notable faculty members created this project-based course that examines how type can inform both game visuals and mechanics. Students were able to create custom typefaces for use in games they designed! The best part? You can play Word Wrangler, Hedge Mage, and Spell Caster at home!
AET + dadageek
The Lab for Immersive Media (LIM) saw a variety of visitors this academic year. Early in the spring semester, AET joined forces with dadageek to host LIM open lab workshops. Each workshop focused on a different technology: Intro to Motion Capture, Interactive Music with MoCap, Touchdesigner with MoCap, and Markerless MoCap with Captury. In April, they kicked off the first event in an upcoming series exploring the future of music and digital art - Live in the LIM. The intimate performance series will combine experimental electronic musicians and cutting-edge technology inside the LIM. The first iteration of Live in the LIM featured experimental electronic musician Xuiqen and dancer Laura Price, whose movements were captured using motion capture technology, with the data dynamically influencing Xuiqen's music and live visuals. We look forward to watching this series develop in the future!
IDSA Open Design Day
As part of the International Design Conference (IDC) 2024, the Department of Design hosted an open house for IDC participants. Presented in collaboration with the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) Austin chapter, Open Design Day was an opportunity for select design students to showcase their work and get feedback from industry guests visiting Austin from around the world. We were grateful to have these talented designers visit our space, explore our curriculum, and network with the next generation of designers coming from our program.
Bonus: YouTube!
We are officially on YouTube! You can find showcase highlights, course overviews, and SDCT community spotlights from both AET and DES on their respective channels. Be sure to subscribe for weekly drops.